Expert: US and Iran Have Not Reached 'Political Culmination Point,' War Could Continue for Some Time

BlockBeats News, April 19th - Masoud Al-Masoud, Associate Professor of Government Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar, believes that neither the US nor Iran has reached a "political tipping point," and the war may continue for "some time." Iran briefly reopened the Strait of Hormuz only to close it again the next day. In response, Trump stated that Tehran cannot extort the US, while Iran's Supreme Leader said the Iranian Navy is ready to deliver a "new painful failure" to the enemy.

Al-Masoud stated that both sides' interest groups are leveraging influence to secure their desired outcomes: the Iranian Revolutionary Guard hopes to take a tougher stance against the US in negotiations, while Trump is looking for a "beautiful, brilliant victory." The current situation is "unstable," with no compromise in sight on structural issues such as nuclear activities and economic impacts.

Trump's continued optimism about reaching an agreement makes him appear "a bit weak," but if no one is willing to make a deal, he has no choice but to press on. (FXStreet)